Apr 30, 2011

Higher accuracy for system dynamics and loading of components in rolling bearings.

SANTA ANA, CA - MSC Software Corporation has announced the availability of Adams Bearing Advanced Technology. The new toolkit is a plug-in to the leading multibody dynamics software MD Adams from MSC Software. The toolkit's customized simulation interface provides a user-friendly environment for performing numerical simulations of rolling bearings within Adams. The solution is compatible with all options in Adams including flexible bodies.

The traditional practice of designing bearings uses kinematic joints or simplified compliances for modeling which leads to shorter modeling and simulation times. However, experiences have shown that such simplified modeling cannot meet the accuracy demands that are expected when using today's virtual prototyping techniques. Additionally, simplified modeling does not provide any insight into the design parameters of a rolling bearing.

The Adams Bearing Advanced Technology toolkit is a customized software solution for modeling and analysis of rolling bearings. The customized solution:

Considers the complex and nonlinear contact mechanics between the rolling elements and the races. Allows input of several parameters describing the geometry and the micro-geometry of the bearing. Enables meshing and computation of the compliances between rolling elements and races to start with a single mouse-click. No expertise in nonlinear finite element analysis is required. Allows derived compliances to be used to efficiently compute the load transfer in the rolling bearing during a motion analysis.

Using this toolkit solution, design engineers achieve higher accuracy during predictive simulations of system dynamics and loading of components. The results include the total bearing force, the loading of the rolling elements, and their loading conditions. This additional insight into the bearing performance is achieved within a shorter compute time which compares with that of the aforementioned simplified modeling of bearings, but with much greater accuracy.

The Adams Bearing Advanced Technology toolkit can be fully integrated with the MSC Software AdWiMo and Adams Gear Advanced Technology Toolkit solutions, both recently announced. AdWiMo, an acronym for Advanced Wind Turbine Modeling, allows fast modeling and accurate system simulation of wind turbines. The Adams Gear Advanced Technology toolkit gives engineers an easy to use, single dynamic simulation tool for the complete design process of transmissions. All three of these MSC Software toolkit solutions allow flexible, dynamic transient, nonlinear and interactive simulation processes making it easier for engineers to perform systems simulations in less time than traditional simulations that offer little or no customization.